"A Sky Full Of Stars " Black Gelding Youngstock / Foal

✨ A SKY FULL OF STARS ✨

17.1hh | 4 years 4 months | Friesian × Shire Sports Horse | Gelding

This is an incredibly difficult advert to write for a very special young horse who has been part of our family since he was just six months old.

I searched for nearly five years for this type of horse. My dream was to carefully grow and produce my own youngster who could eventually take over from my older horse in public and policing activities. He has therefore never been rushed — he has simply been allowed to grow, mature and learn how to be a well-mannered, confident young horse.

Now standing approximately 17.1hh, he is a beautiful, substantial Friesian × Shire Sports Horse with real presence, lovely movement and a definite “look at me” quality. His dam is a Shire Sports Horse and his sire a traditional, heavier-set Baroque Friesian. Further breeding history can be shared.

Personality-wise, he is kind, gentle, extremely clever, inquisitive and playful. Very typically Friesian, he likes to know what you’re doing and be involved! Leave his headcollar hanging outside and he’ll happily stand fiddling with it. He genuinely doesn’t realise how big he is, but he has been taught soft, respectful manners from the beginning.

He is good to handle, groom, bath and have his feet trimmed. He leads without pulling, stands patiently, loads and unloads from both box and trailer, and will happily bring himself in from the field to his stable when the mood takes him. If bored, he will occasionally paw the ground — unfortunately his older brother taught him that particular trick!

He is unbacked, but his education has begun quietly. He has worn a saddle, I have gently laid across him, and he has recently been introduced to long-reining and groundwork, including a session with Michael Peace to help establish the next stages of his education.

He has deliberately never been lunged and has never been asked to endlessly work on a circle. With a horse of his size, I strongly believed his joints and frame deserved time to grow and mature before asking more of him.

He is now at the point where he is physically and mentally ready for someone to begin that next chapter.

And that is really why I am offering him now.

I have backed and produced my own horses previously and have four horses at home on our private yard. My oldest has been with me for 18 years and selling horses simply isn’t something I normally do. But life has changed: children, work, commitments and my own confidence with such a big young horse mean I don’t feel I can give him the consistent one-to-one time and support that this important stage deserves.

Rather than start him and then struggle to maintain that consistency, I would much rather find his person now.

He strikes me very much as a one-horse/one-person type — the sort who will build an enormous relationship with somebody. He’s a thinker and a pleaser, and I believe with the right education he could go on in many directions. Personally, I think dressage could really suit him because of his movement, presence and brain, but equally his original future with me involved public/policing-type activities.

One important point that I want to be completely transparent about is travelling.

He travelled approximately eight hours from Scotland to us as a six-month-old without turning a hair. Because we keep our horses at home, he has simply had very little reason to travel since.

We attempted to travel him around a year ago and the movement of the vehicle frightened him; he appeared to struggle with his balance, panicked and tried to get towards the back of the box. Once I was with him he settled. We haven’t subsequently pushed the issue because there has been no need to travel him.

Therefore, although he loads beautifully, I would consider him inexperienced/anxious about travelling once the vehicle is moving. His new owner needs to be fully aware of this and prepared to work through it sympathetically. For his initial journey to a new home, I would personally discuss appropriate light sedation with a vet and make the journey as straightforward as possible. I would rather disclose this completely than minimise it.

He is gelded, microchipped and passported.

Ultimately, the home matters enormously to us.

This isn’t a horse I’ve bought to produce and sell. I’ve watched him grow from a six-month-old baby into the beautiful horse standing in my field today, and for a long time I genuinely thought he would be with me for life.

But sometimes doing the right thing by a horse means recognising when somebody else can give them more.

He now deserves an experienced, kind and confident person who wants to finish his education, build that partnership and hopefully keep him for many years to come.

Knowledgeable permanent home sought. No novices due purely to his age, size and stage of education.

Serious enquiries very welcome. His home is considerably more important to me than achieving the highest price, but he will be sensibly priced to reflect his quality and to attract genuine enquiries.

✨ A very beautiful blank canvas looking for his person. ✨